Pastors do not speak for their congregants

The media have devoted a great deal of attention to the provocative sermons preached by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Barack Obama is a member of that church.

The media have devoted a great deal of attention to the provocative sermons preached by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Barack Obama is a member of that church.

It is noted that Obama has considered Wright to be his pastor, that he performed the Obamas' wedding and baptized their two daughters. Obama has repudiated those remarks of the pastor which he considers inconsistent with his values and what he believes America represents.

Over the 40 years I served as a United Methodist minister, several of my congregations had members who were elected local and state officials. In one church, the close relative of a top adviser to President Nixon was a member. In most cases, the viewpoints I expressed in my sermons were not shared by the politicians in those churches. I was the preacher and I was their pastor.

Before we judge Obama on the basis of Wright's remarks, we must keep in mind that people join and remain with churches for a host of reasons. It is my experience that a person's relationship with his own religious community is complex and certainly not based entirely on the relationship with the minister.

The Rev. David A. Purdy

Harwich Port

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